People come first. In everything we do.

We care deeply about the people who build our products, and the planet we all share. So we hold ourselves and our suppliers to the highest standards to ensure everyone is treated with dignity and respect. And we share our work openly so others can follow our lead.

Our supply chain is global. So is our responsibility.

Apple products are made all over the world. We work with suppliers, from mining to recycling, to verify that our requirements are being met for the people and communities in our supply chain. In 2018, a total of 1049 supplier assessments were conducted in 45 countries or regions.

Mine

Smelters & Refiners

Components

Final Assembly

Logistics

Retail Stores

Recycling

We enforce our policies by assessing and closely partnering with suppliers at every point in our supply chain.

Zero-waste packaging manufacturing facility, China mainland

We keep raising our standards. And the industry’s, too.

Zero-waste packaging manufacturing facility, China mainland

The Apple Supplier Code of Conduct consistently sets the bar high for safe, respectful workplaces and environmental protections. The Code applies to our partners at all levels and must be upheld even when it exceeds local, regional, and country laws.

A safe and respectful workplace for everyone.

We require our suppliers to treat their employees with dignity and respect. They must provide fair working hours, a safe workplace, and an environment free from discrimination. From day one, they must inform their employees of these rights and guarantee anonymous channels to voice concerns if they arise.

iPhone production, India

iPhone production, India

Over 17.3M people have been trained on their rights since 2007.

Supplier employees are educated on their workplace rights and how to speak up anonymously if they feel those rights are threatened.

We require suppliers to ensure fair working hours.

For more than a decade, Apple has been one of the few companies to closely drive and report on working-hours compliance.

read more about ensuring fair working hours

Final packaging, iPhone production, China mainland

Final packaging, iPhone production, China mainland

We require suppliers to ensure fair working hours.

In 2018, we verified supplier records for over one million employees on a weekly basis and confirmed 96 percent compliance with tracked working hours. If falsification of employee working hours is discovered, the violation is escalated to the supplier CEO and the supplier is placed on immediate probation. The supplier’s ethics policy and management systems are then thoroughly reviewed to identify and correct the root causes. Suppliers who are unwilling or unable to comply risk removal from our supply chain.

1M+supply chain employees’ working hours tracked on a weekly basis in 2018

96%compliance with tracked working hours in 2018

We have zero tolerance for debt-bonded labor.

We prohibit forced labor of any kind, and suppliers must take immediate action or risk removal from our supply chain.

read more about zero tolerance for debt-bonded labor

We have zero tolerance for debt-bonded labor.

Forced labor can take many forms, including debt-bonded labor. This occurs when a person is forced to work in exchange for the repayment of a debt or other obligation, such as a recruitment fee for receiving a job in the first place.

In 2008, we made forced labor a core violation of the Supplier Code of Conduct and limited recruitment fees for supplier employees to one month’s wages, a standard above legal requirements.

In 2015, we went even further, mandating that no fees could be charged to supplier employees for recruitment opportunities, even if those fees were within the legal limits of the supplier’s operating country. Now if bonded labor is discovered, the supplier is required to repay the recruitment fees in full. We also conduct investigatory interviews with employees to ensure that they’re working of their own free will. If suppliers who are found in violation do not implement corrective measures, they risk removal from our supply chain.

In 2018, Apple was awarded the Stop Slavery Award by the Thomson Reuters Foundation for leading the industry in eradicating forced labor.

Building opportunities for those who build our products.

We have provided educational programs to more than 3.6 million supplier employees since 2008. These programs enable people in our supply chain to acquire new skills and advance their careers, whether that’s learning a new language or earning a degree.

Robotics training class, China mainland

Robotics training class, China mainland

New skills, degrees, and pathways to advancement.

Our educational programs, which span everything from life skills to college degrees, have helped millions pursue personal and professional growth.

read more about educational programs

Robotics training class, China mainland

Robotics training class, China mainland

New skills, degrees, and pathways to advancement.

Since 2008, the Supplier Employee Education and Development (SEED) program has provided supplier employees with access to education opportunities. In addition to college courses, participants can take enrichment courses that range from art to learning a new language to financial planning. And our new vocational certification programs are allowing more employees to receive certifications in skills like product repair, environmental health and safety engineering, and electrician services.

In 2018, a new certification in assembly line robotics was added to our vocational programs. Participants received on-the-job training to equip them with the skills needed to work in the evolving landscape of smart manufacturing. And a significant percentage have already earned advanced robotics positions as a result of completing the certification.

Since the SEED program began, more than 3.6 million supply chain employees have enrolled.

SEED class, China mainland

The language of technology belongs to everyone.

Of those who took our App Development and Swift course in 2018, 68 percent had little to no coding experience. Now they can build an app.

Vocational program graduate,Democratic Republic of the Congo

Vocational program graduate,Democratic Republic of the Congo

Educational opportunities deeper in our supply chain.

We continuously challenge ourselves to expand our educational programs and provide skill-building opportunities to more people, in more parts of our supply chain.

Health education for more supplier employees.

We provide resources and education in nutrition, personal care, and maternal health. We will expand these programs to one million supplier employees by 2020.

read more about health education

Health education for more supplier employees.

In 2018, we reached more than 250,000 supplier employees in China mainland and India with health education. Participants received training on critical topics such as self-examination for early breast cancer detection, nutrition, personal care, and maternal health. Through the health program, participants gain a deeper awareness of their personal well-being and skills to better manage their health.

In India, our participants increased their knowledge of personal nutrition by 60 percent, and their awareness of early cancer detection by 85 percent.

Greener factories, greener communities.

Every year we deepen our partnerships with suppliers to protect the planet. Together we’re conserving more energy and water, adopting safer chemicals, and eliminating waste through hands-on, collaborative programs. And as we drive our suppliers toward best practices that go beyond their factories, we openly share what we learn to accelerate our collective positive impact on the planet.

River in the Kunshan District, China mainland

River in the Kunshan District, China mainland

Cleaner water, from the factory to the community.

In 2018, we went beyond water conservation to water stewardship, an effort that benefits the communities where our products are made.

read more about cleaner water for communities

River in the Kunshan District, China mainland

River in the Kunshan District, China mainland

Cleaner water, from the factory to the community.

In addition to conserving water, we are helping suppliers play an active role in improving water quality in their communities. In 2018, one of Apple’s suppliers was the first electronics company in the world to be certified Gold by the Alliance for Water Stewardship.

Through participation in this program, Apple’s suppliers will become role models and leaders for others to follow.

Michael SpencerChair of the international board at Alliance for Water Stewardship

7.6Bgallons of water conserved in 2018

39%water reuse rate in 2018

Water community in the Kunshan District, China mainland

Establishing new norms with safer, greener chemicals.

Apple has set the standard for safer chemical use, and they are sharing their process openly for others to follow.

Alisa Gravitz, CEO, Green America

read more about chemical management

Establishing new norms with safer, greener chemicals.

Since 2014, we’ve partnered with suppliers to implement an industry-leading chemical management program that protects the environment and the people who make Apple products. Through our Supplier Code of Conduct and Regulated Substances Specification, our suppliers must meet the highest standards for chemical use. And we require suppliers to prove compliance with our standards by providing test reports from a certified lab.

In addition to restricting potentially harmful chemicals in our suppliers’ operations, we work to drive the use of safer, greener chemicals throughout our supply chain. In 2018, 100 percent of our final assembly supplier facilities adopted safer, greener cleaners and degreasers.

iPhone production, China mainland

iPhone production, China mainland

Partnering to help more suppliers get to zero waste.

All final assembly facilities for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, AirPods, and HomePod are now UL Zero Waste to Landfill certified.

Going further to combat climate change.

In 2018, our suppliers reduced annualized carbon emissions by more than 466,000 metric tons — equivalent to taking 100,000 cars off the road for a year.

Line operator with Apple staff,

camera lens production, China mainland

Partnerships drive our progress.

Line operator with Apple staff,

camera lens production, China mainland

Regular assessments measure supplier performance against the Supplier Code of Conduct and identify opportunities for improvement. Even when suppliers face challenges, our teams work together closely to build capabilities that help them meet our requirements. Suppliers who are unwilling or unable to improve risk removal from our supply chain.

A track record of improvement. Supported by data.

Supplier performance is scored according to a rigorous assessment process that measures how well our standards are being met. In 2018, assessments were conducted at 770 manufacturing facilities, logistics and repair centers, retail stores, and contact centers. An additional 279 assessments occurred at smelter- and mine-level sites.

2018

2018 76% High performers

2018 23% Medium performers

2018 1% Low performers

2017

2017 59% High performers

2017 40% Medium performers

2017 1% Low performers

2016

2016 47% High performers

2016 50% Medium performers

2016 3% Low performers

2015

2015 36% High performers

2015 58% Medium performers

2015 6% Low performers

2014

2014 26% High performers

2014 60% Medium performers

2014 14% Low performers

High performers

Medium performers

Low performers

Creating a ripple effect that drives change.

Our commitment to people and the planet doesn’t end at our supply chain. We seek to be an example for others to follow, openly sharing our progress to accelerate industrywide change. And we’re proud of the global recognition we’ve received for our efforts. But we know our work will never be done, because we believe that if we aren’t finding ways to improve, we aren’t looking hard enough.

Combatting forced labor.

Awarded the 2018 Stop Slavery Award by the Thomson Reuters Foundation

Creating a greener supply chain.

Awarded top ranking by the Corporate Information Transparency Index five years in a row

Driving safer chemicals.

Awarded an A+ rating and ranked first out of 40 retailers by Mind the Store

We believe that business, at its best, serves the public good, empowers people around the world, and binds us together as never before.